preparatory to our impending move (in just under a fortnight) to a house with a garden, I bought collars for Esk and Ptep. I must confess that I don’t really like them, but I don’t want people to think they’re strays if they roam.

we managed to get Esk’s collar (royal blue velvet to match her eyes, with diamante studs to match her disposition 🙂 on her without too much trouble. Ptep took one look and disappeared under various items of furniture, until I lured him into the bathroom and collared (sorry) him. His is straight black webbing, as befits his future role in life as a thug.

the collars aren’t visibly bothering them – they don’t paw at them, or shake their heads. And the bells don’t seem to upset them. But the effect has been startling – Esk tonight is all over me. Trying to sit on my lap at the computer, roaming round my desk – she’s normally a fairly standoffish cat, and this is very non-standard behaviour. Ptep is still under the bed, making plaintive squeaks whenever I pass, and purring when I reach out to him.

[codacil]
we gave up with collars. Esk would remove her own, and then remove Ptep’s. We’ve had them – and the rest of the Tribe – microchipped.